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Commentary: Will Doug Burgum’s victory at the state Supreme Court mean yearly legislative sessions for North Dakota?

House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, foreground, sits in the gallery at the North Dakota Supreme Court as state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, middle, and Gov. Doug Burgum confer during legal arguments presented to the five justices in the case involving the challenge by lawmakers of Burgum's issuing five vetoes on parts of spending bills passed in the 2017 legislative session. Mike McCleary / Bismarck Tribune

The court struck down four of Burgum’s vetoes from the 2017 legislative session, but they also found that the Legislature itself had delegated too much authority to their Budget Section committee.

The Budget Section has 42 members, and is typically given power to make decisions about the budget (as you might have guessed from its name) in between regular legislative sessions which only happen during odd-numbered years. It’s been a convenient way to make policy decisions during the interim without the time and cost burden of bringing the full Legislature back to Bismarck.